Harmonizing in 4ths (Diatonic) Chord Names

[RobGLA]

I was having a discussion with the TrueFire folks about naming chords stacked in 4ths and thought it might be interesting to get some more opinions.

If you think of these as inversions you have a lot of options but I'm thinking of them as root from the lowest note, sticking to the key of C.

Diatonic 4ths. key of C
Building these stacked 4th chords diatonic to the key of C on the ADGB strings.

I - C F B E
ii - D G C F
iii - E A D G
IV -F B E A
V - G C F B
vi - A D G C
vii -B E A D

Assuming we take each bass note as the root here is what I would call them:

I CMAJ11 The major 11th chord is not one I see used in the real world, it's unresolved sounding but not in a good way. I love jazzy chords and like to use a #11 on top of a MAJ7 or MAJ9, but never an 11th. Yes for minor and dominant, but not major. To me because that F is not played near the top of the chord I'd be tempted to write it as C MAJ7(11)

ii Dm11 Although typically the 11th is played on top of minor chords and sounds really nice there, I'd go with this name. This voicing sounds more like something McCoy Tyner might play. However again I might be tempted to write these as m7(11) as I'm not featuring the 11th on top. That's not an established theory or anything- it just makes sense to me.

iii Em11 same as above.

IV FMAJ7(b5) As is that name seems to works but then I asked myself if I should call it FMAJ7#11 And then I asked myself "why?" out loud. If the chord had a 5th in it would it still work? To me it would-if you barre your first finger across the 8th fret and pick up the note C on the high E string then it's FMAJ7#11. It would no longer function as MAJ7(b5) because the 5 would be in the chord and the note previously thought of as b5 would be referred to as #11, above the 5th. I realize that's a complicated way of looking at it but it leaves room for other notes to be added to the voicing. Also I think of the IV chord as Lydian so it suggests #4 rather than b5.

V G11 The notes do suggest G11, essentially a dominant 7th chord with an 11th. But when I see G11 I tend to think of F/G which does not contain the 3rd of the chord. Actually F/G is more like G9sus which is the super hip Herbie Hancock style chord (Maiden Voyage) which you get by barring your finger over one fret and playing A-D-G-B strings. In my experience though a lot of musicians tend to link an 11th with a dominant sus chord that does not contain a 3rd. Which we should not do. So anyway, I guess I'll call it G11.

vii Am11 and vii Bm11 -same comments as above for Dm11.

Thoughts?

[Robert****]

Are you asking about how to name those chords?

I think as long as you know what to do, it doesn't matter what you call them!

I look at 11th chords without a 3rd as either Dominant 7 or Minor 7. Since there is no third, the tonality is up for grabs.

[RobGLA]

Are you asking about how to name those chords?

I think as long as you know what to do, it doesn't matter what you call them!

I look at 11th chords without a 3rd as either Dominant 7 or Minor 7. Since there is no third, the tonality is up for grabs.

I agree but the discussion came about as to what to call them and why.

I don't think I've ever come across a MAJ11th chord played in the real world, they just don't sound good.
MAJ7#11th I love and dom 11th without thirds are also very hip.